Latest revision as of 08:05, 31 July 2008

A Child's Picture Book

This tattered book was found in the Manse underneath Prideful Mountain. It has been infused with Wood Essence using Sorcery, meaning that it regenerates any further damage done to it; this also makes it imposible to determine exactly how old it is. The book looks as if it meant to be read right to left, though this is not certain as the book also looks as if it was originally created with blank pages. It is bound in an unusual way, with two thin metal staples through the spine, and the cover depicts an anthropomorphic cat, with blue fur, flying above a house, held aloft by a strange device worn on its head. It is what is inside the book, however, that is most strange.

The first few pages of the book are filled with a child's drawings of a city. Pictures of tall buildings, reminiscent of Chiaroscuro, share pages with temples much like those of the Immaculate Order, along with graceful bridges far larger than any built in the Second Age, and even stranger constructions, such as an open box with a sphere set into the top. While the artist of these drawings was clearly a child, it is clear that they took their time over each picture, and tried to copy the real world as closely as possible.

The drawings on the next few pages are much rougher in execution, but they still seem to have been drawn by the same artist. Hastily scrawled winged humanoids, barely more than stick figures, swoop down on the city streets and carry off the people, while desperate soldiers fire ineffectual lines of dashes at them. Despite the crudity of the drawings, all of the people have been given faces; but all of the attackers are faceless.

The next few pages have been ripped out, save for part of one page. The artist has much improved, and what remains of the page shows sad people toiling in the fields, being watched over by what appears to be a Dragon King. The edges of the torn out pages show disturbing fragments that hint at atrocities.

After the torn out pages, the next page shows seven figures easily recognisable as the Incarna, along with five dragons, each one of a different element. The Incarna are shown touching people on the brow, and conferring on them the mark of Exaltation, while the five dragons bestow elemental auras on whole legions. The pages after that show what can only be the Primordial War, as Exalts of all kinds march against hordes of faceless winged humanoids.

The last few pages are filled with drawings of almost inhuman beauty, depicting various places in Creation. Several drawings show what appears to be Rathess, while another depicts the Imerial Mountain, but with a vast city being constructed around it. The very last drawing shows the city from the beginning of the book, only now it is deserted and overgrown. Such is the skill with which the city is depicted that those viewing the drawing can see in their minds how the city was when it was filled with people, and they can almost hear their voices. Underneath the drawing is written a whimsical phrase in Old Realm: "Imagine there's no Heaven..."